Tangled up
by Mwagner11
Summary: Rapunzel is the eighteen year old princess of Corona. She never got kidnapped when she was a baby.Now, Queen Gothel of Napolia is power-hungry and hires the Stabbington brothers to kidnap Princess Rapunzel. But at the same time, Flynn Rider, a legendary thief, is tired of petty crimes and takes on a new challenge: To kidnap a princess! Will Rapunzel's life really begin?
1. Two plans

**Welcome to my Tangled fic! I don't own Tangled cause if I did I would be a genius. Lol :D Enjoy! **

Queen Gothel of Napolia waited at her manor, sitting regally in a red velvet gown on her silver throne. A footman walked in, then bowed nervously to the Queen. "Are those men here yet?" she demanded.

The footman nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. They are."

"Well, what are you waiting for, bring them inside!" the Queen ordered.

The footman nodded hastily and disappeared from the room. The Queen waited. If she had what she wanted she would rule both Napolia and Corona. "Emperess," she whispered to herself. "I like the sound of that."

The Stabbington brothers walked inside, the footman standing behind them. He quickly bowed and ran out of the room, his face pinched and terrified. Gothel addressed the two theives. "So, the Stabbington brothers I presume?"

The one with the eye patch growled. "What task do you have for us? And what will be our reward if we do it?"

Gothel nonchalantly tossed them each a velvet bag filled to the brim with golden coins. "There's plenty more where that came from," she replied in a soothing voice. "Are you aware of the neighboring kingdom of Corona?" They both nodded. "Good. I want you to kidnap the Princess Rapunzel of Corona. She's just an eighteen year old girl so it shouldn't be too hard. You'll recognize her easily. She has extremely long golden hair. I want you to bring her to me unharmed but make sure she does not escape. Are we clear?"

The Stabbingtons nodded again.

"You'll want to look in the towns first, then in the castle. Try to sneak her away tonight but if you can get the kidnapping done by tomorrow that would be fine as well. I need her in three days." She tossed them each another sack of gold. "Now go. If you do this, I can promise you much more riches."

The one with the eye patch nodded and then they both left the room, each with two sacks of gold already tucked away.

Gothel watched them and a sneer curled her lip. Soon she would be an Emperess. And of course, there was also a few secrets she would find out from the girl first.

* * *

**I figured out how to make a page break finally now I don't look like an idiot anymore! **

Rapunzel sat on a stone bench in the palace gardens, her long golden hair piled all behind her, laying across the flowerbeds. It was a spring morning and the sky was a beautiful blue; the sun shone just enough for it to be not too cold and not too hot. A soft breeze tickled Rapunzel's face and a soft flower floated into her hand. She smiled slightly but that quickly went away.

Today was her eighteenth birthday. She should have been happy about it. "You only turn eighteen once," she reminded herself. What had gotten her so down was that her parents were already planning to give her away to some suitor. Later that night, Prince Malcolm from the neighboring land of Fantasia and his company would come to the castle in Corona and have a royal stuffy dinner with her.

Rapunzel hated formal dinners. She was forced to wear a huge poofy dress, tiny slippers that made her want to kick something, and, worst of all, she had to be completely utterly totally prim and proper. Rapunzel was honestly more of a free spirit. She preferred to ride her horse, Maximus, barefoot and just enjoy nature. She was afraid that if she married those opportunities would be gone. Rapunzel really didn't know what to do.

Pascal, her chameleon, climbed up on her shoulder. _You don't look too happy._

Rapunzel shook her head. "My parents want me to get married. And let's just say, I don't. Not to a stuffy prince anyway."

Pascal seemed to shrug, if a chameleon could. _Why don't you sneak off into the main town one last time? That always seems to cheer you up._

Rapunzel smiled mischeviously. "Oh, why not?" She checked to see that no one was looking, bundled up her hair, and walked hurriedly out of the white castle gates. She quickly began to run towards the city, her feet bouncing off of the springy wet grass. Pascal clung to her hair as she ran as fast as she could towards the cobblestone path that led to the main town.

Ever so often, when Rapunzel had had enough of stuffy dinners, dull balls, and poofy dresses that she couldn't even walk in, she dressed in a simple dress and snuck off to the town. It was truly beautiful there. There were mosaics, dancing and laughing people, fruit stands, and shops all over. Rapunzel loved the place because there she could truly be herself. She didn't have to worry about impressing any princes or being a perfect princess.

Pascal rested comfortably on her shoulder as she walked around, enjoying the view.

A chill ran down Rapunzel's spine. Was it just her or did she feel like she was being-followed? She whirled around but saw no one watching her. "Pascal, let's go to the square," she said, her voice trembling slightly.

As Rapunzel kept walking, she concealed herself into a corner and then plopped down on the ground, starting to braid her very long hair. It had taken lots of practice but she had finally learned how to do it herself, not that it was comfortable. She'd rather have someone else do it but this worked too. After a lot of painfully leaning over and stretching, her hair was finally braided. She tied it with a small elastic Pascal found on the street and then stood up.

Luckily, the chill was gone but Rapunzel shivered as she walked to the square. She felt something forbidding was here. It was probably just her imagination though...

* * *

Flynn Rider, swashbuckling rogue, talented theif, etc, etc, (he could have named lots more but he needed to continue) moved through the forest.

He was out looking for a princess. Flynn wanted a new challenge. He was getting tired of snatching food and horses. It was getting boring. For example Flynn: I got a bag of gold and no one even is looking. Guards: Rider! Get him! Flynn: Sorry, old fat guys with sweaty uniforms I'm way too awesome for you to catch. *Flynn makes an effortless daring escape* Guards: RIDER!

Anyway, he was going to now kidnap a princess.

He was pretty sure he was in Corona and that meant kidnapping Princess Rapunzel. The only thing he knew about her was that she had really really long golden hair so obviously she wouldn't be too hard to find.

He emerged out of the forest and squinted. In the distance he could hear laughing and talking. When he put a hand over his eyes, Flynn could see some sort of town. Relying on the annoying posters that never got his nose right, he decided he probably couldn't be recognized and began to run slightly toward the town.

He eventually reached it and came upon a town square where-bingo! He couldn't believe his luck! It was the princess! Who else had extremely long blonde hair? It was hanging in a braid down her back and Rapunzel walked slowly with a large smile on her face. Flynn frowned when he saw some movement on her shoulder. Was that some sort of-frog? Or maybe he just really needed to rest. The thief crouched behind a wheelbarrow,and in front of an empty cooking wares stand, studying Rapunzel. She looked completely harmless.

Maybe he could just follow her to the castle and grab her before she reached it.

"This is going to be too easy," Flynn muttered.

**So how did you like the first chapter? Please review! **


	2. A frying pan has gotta hurt

**Hope your enjoying the story! I don't own Tangled and please review! **

Rapunzel continued her walk, then sighed heavily. It was probably time to return home. Her parents would really be wondering where she was about now. She took one last look at everything-the laughing families, merchants, and dancing children. "Hope I come again," she whispered. "As me." Rapunzel then strolled off onto the cobblestone path would lead her to the castle.

The snapping of a dry twig brought her out of her depressed thoughts and Rapunzel stood up straight. "Who's there?" she asked, trying not to show the fear in her voice. There was silence and Rapunzel could now only hear birdcalls. "I-I'm not afraid you."

"Maybe it was just the animals," she muttered to herself. Her heart was thumping wildly against her chest, blood roaring in her ears. _Run_ her instincts seemed to say. Every fiber of her body was telling her to go. "Pascal?" she whispered. The chameleon's eyes widened and he tugged on a lock of Rapunzel's hair. _Turn around!_

Rapunzel whirled around just in time to see red headed men with thick scars on their faces who had advanced noiselessly behind her, holding a giant bag above her. She shouted "No!" and then took off, her braid slightly slowing her down. Rapunzel ran as fast as she never had before, her feet merely touching the grass, her body almost floating. Pascal was wildly rocketing back and forth and he clung to a thick lock of her blonde hair.

She could hear the twins sprinting after her and Rapunzel desperately tried to pick up the pace. Her head was throbbing and felt as though it was going to burst. A thick blob was something was nestled in her throat- she was too terrified to even cry out.

Rapunzel thundered into the town, hoping that they wouldn't follow her into a public place. But still, she wanted to be sure. Out of the corner of her eye, Rapunzel spotted a wheelbarrow. She sprinted over to it and ducked inside, accidentally knocking into a cooking wares stand where pots and pans fell everywhere. A frying pan fell into Rapunzel's lap but she just lay there, hoping the men had gone away.

They had to want her for her hair. Of course they did! With the magical qualities it possessed, how could they not? Unless they were out for a ransom... Rapunzel could only hope they didn't know about her hair.

She just lay there motionless, not sure what to do when the wheelbarrow suddenly began to move at an alarming pace.

* * *

When the Princess had literally crashed into the very wheelbarrow Flynn was hiding behind he couldn't believe his good luck. Of course, he had almost got hitten in the nose, with a cast iron pot but he had dodged it. After recollecting his thoughts, Flynn suddenly stood and began to push the wheelbarrow out of the city, hoping he didn't accidentally dump the princess into the grass.

Rapunzel looked up at him in surprise and opened her mouth to yell but he quickly clamped a hand over her mouth as Flynn pushed the wheelbarrow, dodging between throngs of people, eventually making it out of the town and to a clear spot in the woods.

The princess lifted up a heavy black object and swung it at his hand. Flynn cried out in pain and the wheelbarrow stopped and his hand came off her mouth. She jumped out but Flynn tackled her from behind and pushed her to the ground. He fished out some rope he'd brought with him and quickly bound her hands behind her back. He quickly found a cloth and gagged her.

Okay, this was really not going well. Flynn had envisioned something more dramatic like knocking the princess out and then her waking up tied to a tree stump or something. Yeah that really didn't sound any better actually. Rapunzel kicked and squirmed on the forest floor, landing her foot in Flynn's chest. He doubled backwards a bit then advanced towards the princess. "Whoa, easy Blondie," he tried to say. He quickly bound her feet as well, earning himself a kick in the face.

A green lizard thing crept up from the princess's shoulder and stuck its tongue in Flynn's ear. "What the!" he shouted and quickly brushed the frog off. "Seriously," he muttered. He caught the thing between his forefinger and thumb and tied it up with a lock of the princess's hair.

"Okey dokey," Flynn sighed. "Let me get a breather."

He realized that Rapunzel was laying tied up on her stomach which probably wasn't very comfortable for her. "Sorry," he apologized and sat her up on a boulder. She glared at him and squirmed at her bonds but they held. Flynn knew how to tie knots well. "Alright, Blondie, I promise as soon as we're a little farther I'll take off the gag."

"Rashushell," the princess tried to say through her gag.

"I'm sure whatever you have to say is wonderful," Flynn assured her. "But let's talk when we're in a safer place. Okay? Okay."

He picked the princess up along with her frying pan, slung her over his shoulder, and began to jog, Rapunzel beating at his back with her bound wrists. She kicked and squirmed even though her ankles were tightly knotted together.

Flynn groaned. This was going to be a long walk.

They strode through the tall forests until he saw it-a curtain of moss. He pushed through it where it opened up to a clearing where a tower was built. He'd been living here for a long time now. **I don't know if Mother Gothel built the tower so let's just say she didn't and it has just randomly been here with Flynn using it as a hideout. **

Flynn always used the door in the side of the tower. He pushed aside the stone boulder and walked up the long set of steps with Rapunzel still beating at him. For being tied up she was a pretty good fighter. After the long flight of stairs, he sat down on the tower floor which he had just surfaced from from a trapdoor. He set Rapunzel down, then slowly walked over to her and peeled off the gag trying to make it as gentle as possible. "There you go Blondie," he said cheerfully.

She glared at him. "My name is Rapunzel."

Flynn cocked his head to one side. "Oh that's what you were trying to say back there! Well, Blondie, just want to let you know that I mean you no harm and that you'll be back home in no time."

Rapunzel cocked an eyebrow up. "What do you want with me anyway?"

Flynn shrugged. "I'm still working that out. Probably for a ransom. I'm short on money. I don't know, probably because kidnapping a princess will go great on my resume."

Rapunzel's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Who are you anyway?"

"Flynn Rider," he replied. "You know, swashbuckling rogue, pickpocket, thief, not so bad with the ladies either-" He trailed off. "Don't tell me you haven't heard of me."

She shrugged. "Sorry."

He shook his head. "Ouch. Well, that hurt."

"Yeah I'm hurt too," Rapunzel told him. "My wrists and ankles are anyway."

He took out his knife. "Whoops. Sorry." He paused, looking up at her. "You have to promise something. Don't try to get away."

Rapunzel didn't say anything. Flynn stared at her. "I'm waiting..."

"Oh, fine," Rapunzel sighed and he cut her bonds. She rubbed her wrists together then suddenly lunged at the frying pan laying next to him.

Flynn didn't have any time to react. His world suddenly went black.

**Have any de ja vu Flynn? Lol :D Review, review, review or Flynn will stay in darkness forever. Yeah, that wouldn't be too fun... **


	3. The Smolder

Flynn woke up in a chair. He tried to move but then realized he was bound to it by-shiny yellow stuff? "Is this hair?" he muttered to himself.

A slightly familiar voice came from in front of him. "Struggling-struggling is pointless!"

"Huh?" he asked, now very confused. It all came flooding back to him! Of course! He'd kidnapped the princess...oh shoot. Great. Now she'd gotten the upper hand.

"I know why you kidnapped me and I-I'm not afraid you."

"What?" he asked. Was she actually trying to threaten him?

The Princess Rapunzel emerged from the shadows of his hideout, a frying pan in hand, her little frog on her shoulder. "Who are you and why did you want me?" she demanded.

"Aha."

"Who are you and how did you find me?" The Princess annuciated the words slowly and more forcefully each time.

Flynn almost snorted. This would be easy. He put on a dreamy. "I know not who you are, nor-"

"Seriously?" Rapunzel asked as she watched him put on his infamous smoulder. "What the heck are you doing with your eye? You're kind of scaring me. And who are you anyway?"

Flynn was slightly dissuaded that she wasn't affected by his smoulder and it caught him off guard for a second. "Wha-uh-" He quickly regained his composure. "The name's Flynn Rider. How's your day goin'?"

She just gave him a strange look. "Um, ok then." Her look hardened. "So, Flynn Rider what do you want with my hair? To cut it?" she asked circling him.

"What?"

"Sell it?"

"No! The only thing I want to do with your hair is to get out of it! Literally!"

"Yi-Wait you don't want my hair?"

"Why on earth with I would your hair? Honestly, I'm thinking more of a hefty ransom."

She raised her pan threatingly. "I will use this. Flynn Rider, LET ME GO HOME."

He shook his head. "Yeah, no." For a minute he thought '_Why doesn't she just escape?'_ Then it came to him. She didn't know where she was! Perfect. "Listen Blondie, I mean you no harm. Besides you have no idea where you are. I'll take good care of you. Now release me and give me the frying pan and for the love of the earth tell that frog to stop glaring at me!"

Rapunzel looked hurt. "He's a chameleon!"

Flynn rolled his eyes. "Seriously, are we having this discussion?"

Rapunzel glared at him. "I can find a way home without you!"

Flynn shrugged. "Ok then, have fun, but trust me you won't get past my horse Maximus and you definitely won't find your way home. Princess, this is a very desolated place. I promise I'll get you'll get home safely if you free me. I won't lock you in a barren cell and I won't feed you moldy bread. And as a plus I won't feed you to my horse."

She turned and glared at him. Flynn just waited expectantly. He knew he had the upper hand. To his surprise though she stomped out of the tower room but then looked back at the hair binding him and face-palmed herself. "Oh yeah and I forgot to mention you might want to take your hair with you," he pointed out.

She sighed, then walked up to him and slapped him painfully in the face. "Ouch!" Flynn yelped. "What in the world was that for?"

Rapunzel just stared at him fiercely with her big green eyes and then unraveled her hair from the chair. Flynn stood up then held out his hand. "I'll need the frying pan."

Rapunzel held it away. "No!"

He grabbed it but she yanked it away. "I'll run," she threatened. "And I don't care if I get lost. I'll run!"

Flynn hesitated, sighed, then gave in. "Fine," he huffed.

She crossed her arms and sat on the floor a few feet away and laid her head against the wall then gazed around the tower room. "What the heck is this place, anyway?"

Flynn shrugged. "I don't know. I found it years ago and just decided to come here. It's been my hideout. It's not creepy or anything though. I mean its not like some crazy witch kidnapped a baby with magic glowing hair to live here."

Rapunzel raised an eyebrow at him. "Has anyone ever told you you are very socially awkward?"

Flynn rolled his eyes. "Thanks a lot. No, actually, I guess I'm just finding it hard to talk to a woman who actually resisted my smoulder and good looks."

Rapunzel shook her head, a small look of amusement played on her face. "And I can't believe I'm the only one who resisted it. It's not exactly that hard," she muttered.

Flynn winced. "Ouch, my ego is severely wounded."

"You'll get over it."

Flynn smiled slightly. Rapunzel was a lot more fun than he'd expected her to be. He actually felt kind of bad about kidnapping her.

She turned to him. "So what are you going to do with me anyway?"

Flynn looked at her. She wasn't scared, frightened, or even apprehensive. Her big green eyes just stared back at him expectantly.

"Like I said, still figuring it out," he told her, shrugging. "But believe me, you'll love it."

"Sure I will," the Princess muttered.

Flynn chuckled, then started walking towards the staircase. "Hey, you comin' Princess?"

Rapunzel shrugged and then followed him up the stairs and into a bedroom with white walls and a purple bed with plush pillows. Rapunzel's face lit up. She looked at him. "Thanks."

Flynn nodded. "Sure. I found this room with the bed and everything. There's another bedroom where I sleep but yeah I thought you'd like this..." He gestured to a shelf with jars of paint on them. "You can paint the walls to keep yourself busy, if you want."

She smiled. "It's perfect. Thank you."

Flynn grinned at her enthusiasm. It was really cute how she got excited over a small little thing. "You're welcome. Sleep well Princess."

Then he shut the door and went to sleep in his own bed.

* * *

The Queen looked at the King worriedly. "Darling, have you seen Rapunzel? Our guests are almost here."

He shook his head. "I haven't. The door to her room is closed though. She isn't out in the gardens."

"She's probably up in her room," the Queen agreed and rushed up the stairs. She rapped on the door. "Rapunzel, dear, are you upset about something?" She pushed open the door. There was a small lump underneath Rapunzel's covers. She cautiously walked up to the bed. "Rapunzel?" The Queen tore back the covers, then gasped in horror.

A pillow had been stuffed between the covers and the mattress. Rapunzel was gone!


End file.
